by Deborah Fleischer
Government facilities, colleges and universities, and corporations are jumping on the bioeconomy bandwagon by switching from petroleum-based plastic take-out items to compostable products made of renewable resources at their cafeterias. While greening lunches on the run might not seem like front-page news, these smaller efforts are paving the way for a larger transformation to a zero-waste green revolution, fed by corn and sugar.
One of the major barriers to switching from petroleum-based plastic to biobased to-go products has been cost. But with oil prices rising, and the market for biobased products growing, many expect the price gap to narrow.
Traditional foam “to-go” containers are made of polystyrene, while the clear plastic containers and bottles we see everywhere are made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene or polypropylene — all petroleum-based plastic polymers. The ubiquitous paper coffee cup, and the paper take-out containers we see everywhere, also use a petroleum-based plastic coating to make them waterproof.
According to Green Seal, in 1997, 120 million pounds of foam polystyrene hinged containers were used in the U.S. food packaging industry and each American throws away an average of 100 polystyrene cups each year. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters recently estimated that last year Americans used 14.4 billion hot paper cups (placed end-to-end, this many cups would circle the world 55 times).
Not only do these plastic cups and take-out containers create garbage that ends up in the landfill for centuries to come (a polystyrene cup has an expected lifetime of over 500 years), they are made from non-renewable petrochemicals, and styrene, a key ingredient of polystyrene, is a suspected carcinogen and known hazardous substance.
Marin County, California, recently switched their Civic Center cafe from plastic to take-out containers, plates, and cups made from corn (PLA) and sugar cane fiber (bagasse). County Supervisor Charles McGlashan, who initiated the switch for the County, articulates, “It is all about walking your talk. If you are the kind of organization that has sustainability values and you want to walk your talk, you can’t have a cafe filled with plastic.”
To reduce waste, energy use, and emissions, Marin County offers patrons the option to eat-in using reusable ceramic plates, glasses, and cutlery. Another option is to encourage customers to bring their own cups and plates, by offering them a small discount. Still, many employees prefer to take their meals “to-go,” which is where bioplastic comes in.
Choosing the Right Product
Summer intern Julie Goldrosen researched the choices for Marin County, and quickly discovered that San Francisco’s Department of Environment, Bioneers, and companies such as Wild Oats and Newman’s Own Organics have all successfully used them.
“When I asked people how it worked, everyone raved about it,” exclaims Goldrosen. They were surprised by how much they look like regular plastic. That is when I knew it would be feasible to make the switch — because the biobased products were comparable to what the cafe already had.”
Here’s a brief overview of the most popular biobased products:
- Polylactic acid (NatureWorks PLA): PLA is a fully biodegradable, compostable corn-based polymer made by NatureWorks LLC (owned by Cargill). At their Nebraska plant, locally harvested corn is broken down into corn sugar (also known as dextrose). The dextrose is fermented and distilled into a substance called lactic acid. The lactic acid is transformed into PLA pellets, which are sent to manufacturers to be turned into clear food packaging, as well as other products, including water bottles, CD players, auto parts, and even coffins.
- To date, PLA has been used only for cold food and drinks because it does not function well for hot foods (over 110 degrees). However, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and International Paper just launched a new eco-friendly hot paper cup with a PLA lining that makes the cup heat resistant.
- NatureWorks recently started purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) to offset greenhouse gases at their plant, reducing the environmental footprint of producing the PLA.
- Bagasse: Bagasse is the dry, fibrous by-product of the sugar cane harvesting process. It can be processed and molded into heat resistant cups, plates, trays, bowls, and clamshells. Products made of bagasse are biodegradable, compostable, and can be used for both hot and cold foods. At this time, bagasse products are made in China.
- EarthShell: EarthShell Corporation, and its U.S. licensee Renewable Products, have developed a compostable, heat resistant material made of natural limestone and starch from potatoes or corn. At their Missouri plant, they recently started producing biobased plates and bowls, which are sold at retail stores such as Smart & Final and to institutional customers.
- Spudware: Spudware is biodegradable cutlery made from 80% starch (potato or corn) and 20% soy or other vegetable oil. It is extremely durable and heat resistant, but costs roughly 60% more than traditional plastic cutlery.
- BIOTA Spring Water: Colorado-based BIOTA Spring Water is the first bottled water packaged in a NatureWorks PLA bottle. It can cost roughly 30% more, depending on the brand of water to be replaced.
Does it Cost More?
The cost difference depends on the changes you need to make. Switching from traditional clear plastic PET cups to PLA can cost only a few pennies more per cup (and with oil prices rising, this differential may soon be gone), while switching a foam bowl or plate to a bagasse fiber product can cost 50% to 70% more.
However, sometimes making the switch can be cost-neutral or even result in a cost savings. Wild Oats commented in a LA Times article last year that their “corn-tainers” cost them less than traditional plastic.
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is using a new 100% renewably-sourced hot paper cup with a PLA lining that costs less than a penny more per cup from International Paper. Hopefully we will see more “ecotainer” products soon.
The majority of Marin’s take-out products were foam, resulting in a cost-premium to make the switch. Their caterer, Ray’s Catering estimated it would cost roughly $1,200 more per month (a 40% increase) to switch to a combination of 11 sugar cane and corn-based products.
When it became clear there was going to be a price tag to the switch, Marin County staff developed a strategy for offsetting the additional costs and negotiated a deal with Ray’s Catering.
The County offered to roughly split the extra monthly cost and provide Ray’s Catering a $600/month subsidy to underwrite the initial cost of the transition to the biodegradable packaging. The County is in strong financial shape, so total cost for the first year ($7,000) was easily covered as part of the Department of Cultural and Visi
tor Services’ $4.6 million budget.
Marin County Supervisor McGlashan says, “The cost differential is probably short lived….Plastic prices are going up fast enough that we are quite confident we won’t pay a premium over the long term.”
Benefits of Switching
A switch can provide the following benefits:
- A way to demonstrate environmental leadership and portray the image of an agency or organization that walks their talk;
- For PLA, a reduction in the total fossil energy used by 50-70% (accounting for the fuel needed to plant and harvest the corn), with over a 70% reduction in associated greenhouse gas reductions;
- For bagasse, a reduction in the amount of traditional wood fibers used and the amount of agricultural waste burned;
- Where commercial composting is an option, the potential for a zero waste system (products typically decompose in 80-120 days) and a reduction in waste hauling fees;
- A reduction in the amount of plastic sent to a landfill, where it can last for hundreds of years;
- Support for the market for products made of renewable resources;
- A reduction in the amount of persistent, bio-accumulative, and toxic chemicals released into the environment from the manufacturing and disposal of plastics; and
- For businesses, capture the new niche of consumers willing to pay slightly higher prices for green products.
Concern about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and conventional farming practices. As much as 50% of the U.S. corn supply used for PLA is genetically modified – without paying an extra premium, it’s difficult to ensure products are GMO-free.
NatureWorks LLC is aware of customer sensitivity and has developed a program to allow PLA manufacturers to purchase offsets, for a price premium of roughly $5/case. While the GMO molecules themselves do not survive the fermentation process, environmental organizations are concerned about PLA’s potential to support conventional corn production, which also depends on petroleum-based fertilizers, pesticides etc.
The need to develop a compost program to achieve zero waste. Another challenge is the fact that few jurisdictions have an active commercial composting facility, making the zero-waste, biodegradable claim difficult to fulfill. When biobased products end up in landfills, the lack of heat and light slow the decomposition process. They decompose faster than traditional plastic, but not in the 80-120 days touted for compostable products.
Concern over contamination of recycling systems. If PLA products end up in recycling bins, it raises the concern that PLA could contaminate the PET plastic recycling processes. Since PLA currently makes up such a small percentage of the waste stream, it is not likely that it poses a great threat to recycling. To begin to address this concern, NatureWorks has launched a buy-back program to provide selected commercial recycling facilities an incentive to sort out the PLA and return it for recycling.
What does the future hold?
Dana Armanino, a sustainability planner for the County of Marin, stresses, “For us, it’s about making incremental changes to encourage the market. There?s no silver bullet yet.”
The County developed educational materials and signage to let customers understand the benefits of the new products, and launched the program in late April 2006.
To date, Ray’s Catering and the County have been pleased with the quality of the products, and customers have responded positively to the change. And while the switch bit into Ray’s Catering’s profit margin, as a result of the media attention the new program received, they have received interest from new clients willing to pay a small premium to green their events.
Supervisor McGlashan says, “It’s rippling out fast. Already there are other organizations taking a look at this switch.” Santa Clara County, a local non-profit that uses disposable items in its operations, and the Oakland Chamber of Commerce (the City of Oakland recently banned polystyrene foam) have called the County, asking for advice on how to make a transition to biobased products.
It’s also spreading nationally. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and International Paper launched a PLA-lined coffee cup, and Sam’s Club (division of WalMart), Newman’s Own Organics, and Wild Oats are all using PLA containers.
Farley concludes, “It all boils down to price points. It is a question of when the price point gets down close to plastic — that is the tipping point. The problem is that enough people have to use the products for the price to get to that point. And if anyone is suited to do that, it is public agencies or large companies that want to send the right message.”
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Deborah Fleischer, founder and principal of Green Impact, works with socially responsible organizations to design and launch new sustainability projects that require the input and support of key stakeholders.
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